Enrolment in universities about the same as last year

Enrolment in universities about the same as last year

According to preliminary counts, the universities of applied sciences will have almost 9 percent less first-year students this year. At the universities, the enrolment remains about the same. The number of first-year students is expected to be as high as last year. That year, the number of first-year students was higher than ever: more than 65 thousand students.

The inflow of foreign students also plays a role in these figures, although the exact numbers are not yet known. New students sometimes drop out after all: they are late with their forms, do not pay the tuition fees or cannot find a room and then withdraw their registration. The real counting date is 1 October.

Numerus fixus

The universities have been asking politicians for years for more legal possibilities to control the influx of foreign students, says Pieter Duisenberg of VSNU universities. “Other countries do steer towards this.

The Senate is waiting for a bill to give universities a bit more control over the influx. They can then place a numerus fixus on the English-language variant of a study programme, so that they can curb the influx of international students in certain popular study programmes.

That bill, which incidentally should also slow down the Englishification of higher education, has been put on hold by the senators in anticipation of a new cabinet. (HOP, BB)